Rayagada: Tension erupted at the Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Institute of Technology (UGMIT) in Rayagada after a girl student alleged misbehaviour by a faculty member on campus.

Demanding swift action and justice for the complainant, a group of students staged a protest in front of the government-run polytechnic on Friday. They locked the main gate of the institute, preventing staff members from entering.

Upon receiving information, Rayagada SDPO Gourahari Sahoo and IIC Prasanna Kumar Behera reached the spot and attempted to pacify the agitating students. Despite assurances, the students continued their sit-in, insisting that action be taken against the accused lecturer.

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Lecturer misbehaves with girl student

According to reports, Pradeep Tripathy, a Mathematics lecturer at UGMIT, allegedly misbehaved with a first-year student. The victim lodged a written complaint with the Principal on October 25.

However, the protesting students alleged that no action has been taken so far, even after an internal committee inquiry. They also claimed that similar allegations were made against the same lecturer in the past, but no strict steps were taken, which prompted them to launch the protest.

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About UGMIT, Rayagada

Established in 1979, UGMIT Rayagada is a Government Polytechnic (co-educational) institution under the administrative control of the Director of Technical Education & Training, Odisha, Cuttack. At the state level, it functions under the Skill Development & Technical Education Department, Govt. of Odisha. The institute is located in the industrial town of Rayagada, around 405 km from Bhubaneswar.